Edge-notching mechanism for blankmaking machines



C. D. KNOWLTON EDGE NOTCHING MECHANISM FOR BLANK MAKING MACHINES Filed July 22, 1936 v 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 III Fig." 1

May 3, 1938.

C. D. KNOWLTON EDGE NOTCHING MECHANISM'FOR BLANK MAKING MACHINES 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed July 22, 1936 N Wm M Patented May 3, 1938 user so sures EDGE-NO'ICHIN G MECHANISM FOR BLANK- I MAKING MACHINES Cutler D. Kncwlton, Beverly, Mass, assignor to Hoague-Sprague'Corporation, Lynn, Mass, a corporation of Massachusetts Application 1.1111922, 1936, Serial No. 91,884 9- Claims. (Cl. 93 58. 1)

This invention relates to.machines-,by;which blanks areformed from webs of material'for the production of box-parts of the corner-lap type, these including upon their end-wings extensions 5 which are to be folded over theturned-in cornerlaps. An example of such a box may be seen in Letters Patent of the UnitedpStates No. 1,811,135, Knowlton, June 23, 1931. In the production of the blanks for boxes or box-parts ofv this character, the outer edge of each corner-lap is notched to receive the end-wing-extension and thereby vfurnish a flush edge about both the end,- and side-walls. The present invention is particularly directed toinechanism by which these notches are cut in the web of shellor body-material.

A machine for making these corner-lap-blanks is the subject of Letters Patent of the United ,States No. 1,988,451, Knowlton, January 22, 1935. As disclosed, this machine is designed to make blanks for box-covers, butas far as the present invention is concerned, it is equally applicable to box-bodies. An object of my invention is to render the 'edge-notching mechanism of this and similar machines more readily and precisely adjustable to permit the manufacture of blanks of difierent widths. To attain this end opposite rotatable rolls are each arranged in sections, one of which is provided with an end gaging surface. Upon the respective rolls are a cutter-section, 30 which may be in the form of a segment, and

a co-operating abutment-section, shown as a collar, both provided with gaging surfaces opposite those of the first-mentioned or gaging sections. Both the cutterand abutment-sections. have 5 means for securing them uponv the rolls in positions determined by the spaces between the gaging surfaces, and since th se spaces may easily be determined with accuracy, thecutterand abutment-sections may be broughtto the correct 40 relation for any width of blank. As the notching operations are ordinarily to be simultaneously performed upon opposite edges of theweb-m-aterial, there is upon each roll a central section in the form of an enlargement or sleeve having 45 gaging surfaces at its opposite ends, with both of which the gaging surfaces of-corresponding cutter-segments and abutment-collars co-operate.

With the cutting means is preferably associated a device for removingthe scrap which is 50 produced. In this connection, the invention has, as another object, the provision of a device of this character which is easy to maintain in proper operating condition and which may be positioned readily to correspond to theadjustment of the 55 cutting mechanism. To accomplish this, there is fixed indifferent positions upon the projection. A specific embodimentof the invention is illustrated in the accompanying drawings, in which of pasteboard or other shell material.

interposed between a scrap-removing finger" pivoted upon one of the .rolls and a relatively fixed cam, a finger-controlling member movable upon the roll with thefinger and carried in cooperation with the cam to allow said finger to 5 grasp the scrap or tocause itsrelease. The controlling member maybe inthe form of a plunger engaging thefingeriat one-side of its pivot, While a spring-plunger acting upon the finger at the opposite side ofthe pivot renders it active underiflo the control .of the first-mentioned plungerby the cam'. ,Withthis arrangement, all the elements are subjected tojslight. wear andmay easily be renewed, if necessary. To change the time at which the finger engages the scrap, the cam may locals iadjusted circumferentially of said ,roll. Herein the cam-mounting is shown as a projection from the machine-frame, this sleeve being surrounded byacollar carrying the cam and which-may be ,Fig. 1 isa broken front elevation of my improved notching' mechanism; Fig. 2, a transverse section on the line IIII ch Fig. 1, and

Fig. 3, a perspective view of the roll-portions more directly co-operating with the work.

At [0 appears a portion of one of the opposite extended side-frames of a machine for making, blanks for boxes or their covers, these portions of the frame supporting the mechanism which is to notchv at q the opposite edges. of a web b These notches extend along what is to become the.

corner-laps of the box-parts. The edge-notching mechanism hasa lower roll l2 and an upper roll 14 rotatablein opposite directions by gearing 16 in bearings ll in the side-frames to operate on and advance the material. The rolls may be re- 40 placed by other rolls of different diameters, to

- cause the mechanism to act properly upon blanks of different lengths. The lower roll has a central cylindrical enlargement or section 18, the upper portion of the periphery of which lies substan-- tially. in the plane of the web, serving as a sup port for it. This is-opposed by a similar enlargement 2!} upon the roll l4. Both of these enlargements are shown as sleeves secured against longitudinal and circumferential movement upon, their rolls by set-screws 22 and keys 24. At each side of these central sleeves are arranged the notching instrumentalities which are to act upon 7 the edges of the web. Thesemay be identical, and

therefore but onewill be described in detail.

Considering, then, the mechanism at one side of the sleeve 26, there is secured tothe roll I4 a cutter 26, the cutting edge of which is of such contour that it will remove from the web-edge a piece of the desired dimensions. This cutter is formed upon a segmental section 28 embracing a portion of the roll and normally fixed thereon by slot-and-screw connections 30, the slots in the segment extending parallel to the axis of the roll 4. The arrangement allows the cutter to be secured to its roll at different distances from the center-line of the advancing web, so it may be positioned for all widths of material to be operated upon. In this adjustment, the segment is guided against circumferential displacement by slot-and-pin connections 32. To determine the correct location of the cutter, the end-wall 34 of the sleeve 26 and the opposed wall 36 of the segment have radially extending parallel finished surfaces. With the screws of the connections 30 loosened, a space-gage of the proper thickness may be interposed between these walls, the segment moved into the position determined by the gage, and the screws again set to fix the cutter in place.

The roll l2 opposite the cutter 26 is surrounded by a collar or section 40, the periphery of which furnishes an abutment against which the cutter acts. It is important that the cutter in all its adjustments shall register with exactly the same line upon the periphery of the abutment-collar. This is because the edge of the cutter in its repeated action upon the web indents the opposed surface, and unless registration is maintained, a complete clean cut cannot be made. To provide for an adjustment of the collar to correspond to that of the cutter and the establishment of the necessary registration, the collar is normally secured to the roll by set-screws 42. When these set-screws are loosened, the collar is held against circumferential displacement, but with a capacity for movement along the axis of the roll, by a pin 44 projecting from the collar and having a sliding fit in a bore in the sleeve I8. The sleeve and collar have parallel finished surfaces 34 and 36, respectively, similar to those of the elements carried by the upper roll, and by the interposition between these of a space-gage there may be obtained a location of the abutment-surface exactly corresponding to that of the cutter 26.

It is desired that the scrap produced in cutting the notches q shall be removed positively from the plane of the web. Surrounding the roll l2 outside the abutment-collar 40 is a sleeve 46. It is secured to rotate with the roll, with a capacity for longitudinal adjustment, by a key 48 and is fixed in position by a set-screw 50. The scrap-removing device may thereby be positioned to correspond to various adjustments of the notching mechanism. In a slotted end of the sleeve opposite the portion of the collar 40 against which the cutter 26 operates is pivoted a finger 52, having a reduced end 54 movable over the collar for engagement with the cut piece. Outside the pivot-point the finger is acted upon by a spring-plunger 56 reciprocable in a horizontal bore in the sleeve 46 and held therein by a screw 58 threaded into the outer end of the bore. This plunger imparts to the finger its scrap-engaging movement. At the opposite side of the pivot, the inner extremity of the finger isacted upon by a plunger 60, which is arranged to reciprocate without rotation in a horizontal passage in the sleeve. Rotatable upon the outer extremity of the plunger 60 is an antifriction roll 62 which is forced outwardly by the finger 52 under the infiuence of the spring-plunger 56. The plunger 60 is urged against the finger to remove the end 54 from its scrap-engaging relation by a normally stationary cam-face 64, extending substantially at right-angles to the axis of the-roll l2 and over which the roll 62 travels in its revolution by the roll l2. The cam-face is formed upon the inner side of a flange 66 projecting from the inner extremity of a collar 68 surrounding a sleeve 10 about the adjacent journal of the roll 12 and secured to one of the sideframes Ill. The contour of the cam-surface is such that while the cutter 26 is acting, the roll 62 is free to move outwardly, so the spring-plunger 56 forces forward the end 54 of the finger 52 into engagement with the area of the web which is to be cut out to form the notch. This continues while the cut is being completed and also after the portion of the abutment-collar opposed to the cutter has begun its descent in the rotation of the roll l2. The cut piece is thus carried down, grasped between the finger and the collar 40, and removed positively from the web. When the separation is complete, the cam-surface 64 acts upon the roll 62 of the plunger 60 to retract the end 54 of the finger. This releases the scrap, which may be allowed to fall into a receptacle.

The collar 68 is preferably split and drawn together by a screw 12 to clamp it in position upon the sleeve 10. By loosening the screw, the collar with its cam may be adjusted either longitudinally of the roll, to correspond to different settings of the finger-sleeve 46 for blanks of different widths, or circumferentially of said sleeve, to alter the time of operation of the finger. On account of the radial relation of the cam-face 64, it may be caused to have always the same efiect upon the controlling plunger 60, regardless of differences in the diameter of the roll which may be in use for one blank-length or another. All parts of this scrap-removing device are relatively inexpensive to manufacture, subject to little wear, readily accessible for replacement and convenient as to adjustment for operation upon blanks of different sizes.

Having described my invention, what I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent of the United States is:

1. In a blank-making machine, opposite rotat- .5

able rolls each having a section provided with an end gaging surface, a cutter-section carried by one roll, an abutment-section carried by the other roll and co-operating with the cutter-section, both the cutter-section and the abutment-- 5 section being provided with a gaging surface opposite that of the corresponding first-mentioned sections, and means associated with the cutterand abutment-sections and arranged to secure them in positions upon their rolls determined by the spaces between the respective opposed pairs of gaging surfaces.

2. In a blank-making machine, opposite rotatable rolls each having a central enlargement provided at its opposite ends with gaging surfaces, a knife-segment carried by one roll at each side of its enlargement, an abutment-collar carried by the other roll at each side of its enlargement, both the knife-segments and abutment-collars being provided with gaging surfaces opposite those of the corresponding enlargements, and means arranged to secure each segment and each collar upon their rolls in positions determined by the spaces between their gaging surfaces and those of the central enlargements.

3. In a blank-making machine, opposite rotatable rolls each having a central enlargement provided with an end gaging surface, a knife-segment carried by one roll, an abutment-collar carried by the other roll, both the knife-segment and abutment-collar being provided with a gaging surface opposite that of the corresponding enlargements and with means which hold said segment and abutment-collar against movement circumferentially of the rolls while permitting the spaces between their gaging surfaces and those of the enlargement to be varied, and means arranged to fix the segment and abutment-collar in the positions to which they are adjusted.

4. In a blank-making machine, a lower roll having a portion arranged to support upon its periphery an advancing web of blank-material and provided at its end with a radially extending gaging surface, an upper roll co-operating with the lower roll and having a radial gaging surface, an abutment-collar variable in position upon the lower roll and provided with a radial gaging surface opposite that of the web-supporting portion of its roll, and a cutter-segment variable in position upon the upper roll and provided with a radial gaging surface opposite that of said roll.

5. In a blank-making machine, opposite rolls between which blank-material is advanced, each roll having an enlargement, a knife-segment variable in position upon one roll toward and from this enlargement, and an abutment-collar adjustable along the other roll and with which the knife co-operates, there being engagement between the abutment-collar and the corresponding roll-enlargement to prevent circumferential displacement of the collar while permitting its longitudinal adjustment.

6. In a blank-making machine, opposite rotatable rolls between which blank-material is advanced, blank-cutting means carried by the rolls, a scrap-removing finger pivoted upon one roll, a spring-plunger engaging the finger at one side of its pivot, a controlling plunger engaging the finger at the opposite side of its pivot, and a cam arranged for engagement with the controlling plunger.

7. In a blank-making machine, opposite rotatable rolls between which blank-material is advanced, blank-cutting means carried by the rolls, a scrap-removing member carried by one roll, a cam for actuating the member, a mounting for the cam variable in position cicumferentially of the roll, and means arranged to fix the mounting in different adjusted positions.

8. In a blank-making machine, a frame, opposite rolls rotatable thereon and between which blank-material is advanced, a scrap-removing member carried by one roll, a projection from the frame, a collar surrounding the projection and carrying a cam for actuating the member, and means arranged to fix the collar in different positions upon the projection.

9. In a blank-making machine, a frame, pposite rolls rotatable thereon and between which blank-material is advanced, said r-olls being interchangeable with other rolls, blank-cutting means carried by the rolls, a scrap-removing member carried by one roll, a cam provided with a surface for actuating the scrap-removing member, said surface extending substantially radially with respect to the axis of the roll upon which the scrap-removing member is mounted, and means arranged to secure the cam in different angular relations about said axis.

CUTLER D. KNOWLTON. 

